Avalanche center issues first advisory

Glacier Country Avalanche Center issued their first backcountry avalanche advisory Dec. 2. Due to the spotty nature of the area's snowpack, they had very little to report.

Mountain snowcover ranges from eight inches to about three feet in depth, with a "significant amount" of vegetative and terrain anchors showing. Areas in the Cabinet and Purcell ranges have the most snow, while mountains around the Flathead are below average.

"Mild temperatures through much of the early season and storm systems that produced varying snow and rain showers have left a menagerie of snow cover over Northwest Montana," avalanche specialist Stan Bones wrote in the report.

Snow depth at Flattop Mountain in Glacier National Park was 47 inches on Dec. 2. Noisy Basin's SNOTEL site showed 24 inches of snow.

Bones reports that some wind loading has occurred on leeward slopes. Despite the low snow depths, he reminds backcountry travelers to check out the snow stability.

"Determine if the slope is wind-loaded and likely to slide," Bones said. "Where will I be carried if it does avalanche?"

Small slides and shallow snow may not totally bury someone, Bones notes, but they are notorious this time of year for pushing victims over cliffs and into rocks, causing massive trauma.

The avalanche danger is not expected to change this week. For more information, visit online at www.glacieravalanche.org.